


Work In Progress

by Stacysmash



Series: Soulmate AU [6]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst with a Happy Ending, Awkwardness, Bathroom Shenanigans, Fluff, Friendship, Light Angst, M/M, Making Out, Polyamory in the background, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension, background TsukiKinHina, snapshots of future, soulmate dreams
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:13:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 16,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22793038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stacysmash/pseuds/Stacysmash
Summary: Everyone knows that sometime after your sixteenth birthday, the dreams begin. They aren’t exactly dreams, more like jumps in time to give you a snapshot of your future, a blurry vision of your soulmate and your life together. They occur in no particular order and only give a few minutes at the most, so it doesn’t give away too much. As time ticks down to the moment you meet your soulmate, they start lessening until they finally stop.Part of a large series but a direct sequel toThe Perfect Balance
Relationships: Kageyama Tobio/Kunimi Akira
Series: Soulmate AU [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1282556
Comments: 45
Kudos: 307





	Work In Progress

**Kageyama—**

_As Kageyama opened his eyes in his dream, the setting was familiar to him with a few slight changes. He was on a volleyball court, but the stadium was gigantic. The stands were filled with screaming fans and everyone's eyes were on him. None of that mattered to him as he dribbled the ball in front of him and surveyed the opposite court._

_The whistle blew and he took a deep breath to focus. He tossed the ball into the air and chased after it, the clamoring noise around him hushing to a murmur. All he could hear was his own breath filling and leaving his lungs. The set-up was perfect, and the satisfaction was sweet as his hand came into contact with the ball. It shot to the other side of the court and ricocheted off the floor, the echo drowned out by the sudden screaming from the crowd._

_He was assaulted everywhere by his teammates, hands running through his damp hair and patting his back. It took him a moment to realize that his service ace had just won them the game. A little anticlimactic, maybe, but he could feel the pride swelling in his future self’s chest._

_They went through the motions of shaking hands with their opponents and bowing to the crowd for their support. As he straightened up, his eyes searched the stands while his teammates brushed past him. His body was as still as a statue while he looked over a sea of faceless people, the veil of the soulmate dream clouding his vision._

_His eyes stopped suddenly, singling one person out. His heart pounded in his chest, more than it had when he was setting up for his serve. A few people called out to him but for some reason, his body wouldn’t move or even acknowledge them. He was waiting for something._

_The person in the stands looked away. For a moment, it felt like his heart was crushing in on itself until the person raised their hand and waved at him. Elation filled him and he waved back. It was difficult to tell at such a distance and with the veil hindering his vision, but he knew that the person was trying hard not to laugh at him._

_It didn’t seem to bother future Kageyama as he puffed out his chest and trotted after his teammates. The rest of the dream seemed little consequence to him and he realized that that one person in the stands must have been his soulmate. It didn’t make much sense to him why such a meager acknowledgment from them would fill him with such joy._

_Honestly, he hadn’t given much thought to his own soulmate. He’d watched as his closest friends found their own, sometimes with confusion and other times experiencing peace. His current self was too focused on volleyball to worry about it. After all, if the person was his soulmate, then everything would work out well, right?_

“...And then Natsu wanted me to practice with her more and when I said no, she threw a fit. I got in trouble. It’s not that I don’t want to teach her. It would be amazing if she learned to love volleyball as much as I do! But I had just biked home and I was starving. If I didn’t eat, I would have died.”

“You’re being a little dramatic,” Tsukishima interjected.

“I am not, Stupidshima!”

Kageyama ground his teeth over his onigiri, feeling his patience waning. “Do you guys have to do that?” he asked once he’d swallowed his mouthful.

Hinata blinked at him, looking even more like an idiot than usual. Tsukishima, on the other hand, smirked from where his chin was perched on top of Hinata’s head and wrapped his arms tighter around him.

“Something bothering you, King? Did us peasants upset you in some way?”

“You didn’t upset me. And I’m not a king!”

Hinata perked up suddenly as if he finally caught onto the conversation. “Aw, Kageyama-kun, don’t be jealous! I’m sure you’ll have a snuggly soulmate one of these days.”

Kageyama dropped his glare from Tsukishima to Hinata, although neither of them seemed very affected by his expression. “I don’t want a snuggly soulmate. I just want someone… I don’t know. The point is, you two are making me want to barf. I thought you hated PDA, Tsukishima.”

“It’s fun when you know that you’re bothering people.”

“You’re such an asshole.”

“Speaking of which, you had your birthday a few days ago. Have you had a soulmate dream yet?”

Kageyama shrugged. “I’ve had one.”

“And?”

“It was cool but not a surprise. I was playing volleyball professionally.”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes. “Only you would say it like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like _of course, with my skills, I’ll have the ability to go pro_.”

“Not like that, jerk. It’s the only thing I want to do with my life.”

“Even so, there are plenty of guys who’d love to go pro who don’t have that ability. Do all of us peasants a favor and swallow some humility for once?”

“But—”

“Wait, we’re getting off-topic,” Hinata interrupted, giving Tsukishima a gentle poke with his elbow. “What about your _soulmate_?! That’s the whole point of the dream.”

“They were there, I guess.”

For once, Hinata and Tsukishima wore the same expression. It was so exact that it made Kageyama uncomfortable and he moved a bit further away from them. 

“Are you serious?” Tsukishima finally said, shaking his head. “They were just there? Do you not care about them at all?”

“I do! They were in the stands and I could hardly see them. Not much of a dream for that reason.”

Tsukishima took a breath to say something else, but Hinata touched his hand to stop him. 

“You didn’t talk to them?”

“I couldn’t.”

“But you knew they were your soulmate?”

“Yeah, I just had a feeling. All my attention was on them.”

At that, Hinata relaxed back against Tsukishima. “How did you feel about them? In the future, I mean.”

Kageyama stared at the floor as he tried to remember. “Like I’d do anything for them to like me. Which was weird, aren’t they my soulmate? Doesn’t that just come with it?”

Tsukishima groaned. “Do you think that Hinata and I fell in love at first sight, even before we had our dreams?”

“No, you couldn’t stand each other.”

“And we certainly would have never thought Yuutarou would be with us either. That person may be your soulmate, but most likely you’ll have to win their favor anyway. Apparently, Fate isn’t going to let you have such an easy time with them as you’ve had with volleyball.”

Tsukishima’s words and accompanying smirk made his blood boil. He expected Hinata at least to come to his defense, but he only gave Kageyama a sheepish grin.

“Sorry, I’m with Kei on this one. Love isn’t like volleyball. Sure, you work hard at both, but it’s not just you and a lifeless ball that have to work together. It’s you and a whole other person. You’re better than you used to be, but I don’t think being with your soulmate will be as easy as you think it’ll be.”

Kageyama thought back to the dream, how affected he was by everything his soulmate did. They had the power to destroy him, even though his team had just won the game. It was a startling revelation that not only would he have something he cares about as much as volleyball, but potentially even more.

**Kunimi—**

_Oh, God… it’s happening._

Kunimi wasn’t ready. Sure, he’d finally reached his sixteenth birthday and had plenty of time to prepare himself for his soulmate dreams. But he had blatantly ignored the momentous birthday as if it was any other day, shrugging off all Kindaichi’s attempts to talk to him about it. 

He didn’t like the idea that Fate had chosen someone for him. He was certain that he couldn’t trust Fate’s opinion, no matter how many people grew to love their soulmate for reasons of their own. There wasn’t any part he really wanted of it. He didn’t _need_ anyone.

Whether he liked it or not, his first soulmate dream found him one night after his sixteenth birthday…

_His vision was cloudy, making it difficult to see. Mentally, he groaned, instantly recognizing the dream for what it was and reluctantly observed his surroundings. There wasn’t much of the room he could see, just a simple desk and a computer in front of him that he was typing away on. From the aches in his back and legs, he imagined he had been there a long time._

_His future self yawned and rubbed at his dry eyes. Kunimi wanted to nod, understanding entirely how he felt. Glancing at his hands, he didn’t seem to be very old but that could place his age anywhere from early twenties to late thirties, maybe even older. It’s not like he had a good grasp on what people’s hands looked like at different ages._

_Everything started to grow hazy suddenly, his older eyes drooping shut as his head hung from his neck. What was the point of this dream? There was no soulmate and he was falling asleep at his desk. It wasn’t showing anything out of the ordinary and it was starting to piss him off._

_Kunimi had a sudden thought that perhaps that was the point. Maybe Fate was kinder than he thought, and his future was for just him and him alone. His mood was rising fast until the door opened behind him._

_“Still working?”_

_Shit. So much for that idea, Kunimi thought, his mood dropping instantly. His older counterpart, on the other hand, relaxed at the sound of his soulmate’s voice and smiled._

_“Yeah, I’m behind on my reports.”_

_His soulmate walked up behind him with soft footsteps. Long fingers grazed over his shoulders and began to rub, kneading exactly where he needed it to relieve the tension. Kunimi wanted to groan along with his older self as he closed his eyes and tipped his head back._

_“More.”_

_With a soft laugh, Soulmate pressed his lips against his forehead and continued to rub out all his stress away._

_“You should quit for the night and get a proper sleep.”_

_“No,” Kunimi responded, sticking his tongue out at him without even opening his eyes. He screeched as a pair of fingers pinched it and he swatted his soulmate away. “Bastard.”_

_“Right back at you,” his soulmate murmured as he wrapped his arms around Kunimi and kissed down his neck. “Come on.”_

_“Noooooo,” Kunimi whined, even as he wrapped his arms around his soulmate’s neck and allowed himself to be swept up._

_He had to admit, that was kind of hot. Kunimi was lithe but he wasn’t small. His soulmate seemed even taller than him and firmly built but unfortunately, he couldn’t get a better view of his face. His future self seemed content to bury his head into his soulmate’s neck and lay limp in his arms._

_“Such a baby.”_

_“Yup.”_

_As his soulmate chuckled, Kunimi smiled but kept it from his soulmate’s view. One thing he could appreciate about the man he’d end up with was that he didn’t seem too noisy or boisterous. If he’d ended up with someone like Hinata or Koganegawa, he wouldn’t have survived._

_There was comfort in his arms; Kunimi could sense the trust built between them over the years. As his soulmate took him to the bed and set him on it, Kunimi was overwhelmed by his gentleness. It wasn’t as if he was afraid that he’d break, he’d have to be an idiot if he thought that. He was treasured._

_The only thing that made him uncomfortable was potentially being wrong about the whole idea of soulmates. He didn’t want to admit that maybe there was something to it and Fate had actually chosen someone he could stand to be around. Thinking about it logically, it saved him a lot of time and effort with dating, trying to weed out people that wouldn’t fit with him._

_“Akira,” Soulmate whispered into his ear, sending shivers across his body._

_As his man of mystery laid down on top of him, Kunimi got a strong punch of his sweaty musk. Even his future self wrinkled his nose and tried batting him away, although he couldn’t deny the way it was obviously turning him on. That would be one detail he would be withholding from Kindaichi, if he told him anything at all._

_“You’re gross. You need to shower and let me rest.”_

_“Is that what you want?”_

_“You were literally just telling me I need to sleep.”_

_“You don’t have to do a thing. All you have to do is enjoy it.”_

_Kunimi pinched his lips shut but it wasn’t enough to stop them from curling up in a smile. “Fine, you’ve convinced me.”_

_“That was hard.”_

_“Shut up, dumbass,” Kunimi grumbled, giving his soulmate a light slap on the head. He huffed out a laugh against Kunimi’s throat and lifted himself enough to gaze down into his eyes. If Kunimi had been in control of his future self, he would have gasped at seeing his face, the pair of steel-blue eyes that pierced his soul. They were uncomfortably familiar._

_Maybe he just looked like him, it’s not like he could see clearly through the veil of the dream. Kageyama’s eyes were critical, not loving. He didn’t know how to smile, something his soulmate was able to do easily. As if his future self heard his thoughts, he reached up to trace over his soulmate’s lips._

_“Do what you want, but don’t get too much sweat on me. Then go shower.”_

_The lips under his fingers curled up in a smirk before pressing a kiss against them. “Alright.”_

_He dropped down to kiss Kunimi’s lips as well, but he still had a hand between their lips. The cool eyes narrowed at him until Kunimi snickered and removed the barrier. He was amused, but the younger Kunimi in his mind was in utter turmoil, finding it impossible to deny that the man gazing down at him with so much gentleness and love was Kageyama._

_True to his word, Kageyama didn’t cover him but hovered as he leaned down and kissed Kunimi. It was so sweet that he wanted to scream. The Kageyama that he knew was selfish and harsh. None of it made any sense…_

The next day, Kunimi picked at his lunch as Kindaichi chuckled at something in the booth across from him. Since discovering his two soulmates, he was constantly on his phone, sometimes typing furiously and others just watching events unfold on his screen. Kunimi twisted his mouth as he watched him add to the conversation and snorted when he got a reply.

“What’s going on?”

“The usual. Kei said something to piss Shoyou off and even though it was true, he didn’t need to say it like _that_.”

“So, they’re fighting. Then why are you laughing?”

“If you’ve ever watched them fight, you’d think it’s hilarious too. It’s more bickering than fighting. Besides, they don’t let it get very far and they hardly ever hold grudges.”

“I’m sure you have a hand in that.”

“You mean being their mediator? I do feel like that sometimes. Although, most of the time we take turns picking on each other. It’s strange how we have something different between all of us, yet fit well together. Doesn’t make sense.”

_I feel that…_

“Was it weird, finding out that your soulmates were enemies?”

Kindaichi barked out a laugh. “What do you mean enemies? We’re not at war, we’re just rivals.”

“I know, but we were never really friendly with each other until the first-year camp.”

“Well, that’s just it. I started to fall for them both before I realized they were my soulmates. Honestly, you should be asking Kei how he felt about it since they were always at odds before.”

“I guess so. It is a relief you have at least one soulmate with a brain.”

“Sho has a brain. You just don’t acknowledge it because he’s loud.”

“He doesn’t always use it either.”

Kindaichi set his phone down on the table and stared at him. “Are you okay? You seem grumpier than normal.”

“I’m fine.”

“Did you have your first dream?”

Kunimi’s flinch answered the question, but Kindaichi patiently waited until he answered him back with words.

“Yeah… I did.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Yes and no.”

“Was it bad?”

Kunimi sighed, his mouth tasting bitter when he recalled the images of the dream. “No. It was nice.”

“You look like you’re going to vomit.”

“I think I know who it is but it’s inconceivable. It just doesn’t make sense.”

“Who is it?”

Kunimi fell silent. It bothered him that he thought Kageyama was his soulmate, but he knew that it would bother Kindaichi even more. Their years at Kitagawa Daiichi were hard, and the memories of Kageyama’s yelling and insults still stung. He had to admit after Kageyama joined up with Karasuno, he’d changed dramatically. But he still had a long way to go to reach his soulmate’s level of humility and gentleness.

“You don't _have_ to tell me, you know. If it bothers you that much.”

“I’m not certain it was him. My soulmate was sweet, not pushy but still caring. He was strong enough to pick me up and carry me to bed—”

“So, he’s an enabler.”

“Shut up.” Kunimi relaxed as Kindaichi laughed, and he sent his friend a long, dramatic eye roll. “Anyway, everything he did was great. It was as if he really understood me and what I needed. I was worried I’d get stuck with someone discordant, you know?”

“But you think you know who it is and _that’s_ what’s bothering you?”

Kunimi took a deep breath and settled his gaze on Kindaichi, relaying the seriousness of what he was about to say. “I think it was Kageyama.”

Kindaichi’s face pinched at the name, but gradually, he relaxed the longer he considered it. “That’s… surprising.”

“Yeah.”

“But you’re not sure?”

“I’m almost certain, but I guess we’ll see if I have any more dreams to disprove it.”

“That’s true. Listen, the dreams actually show the future, even if it’s a little hard to see what’s happening. With that in mind, it does make knowing that Kageyama could be your soulmate a little easier to take, right? It means he grows up even more than he has since being with Karasuno. How did your future self feel when he was with him?”

“Relaxed… content… safe…”

_Horny…_

“Then it’s going to be alright.”

“How can you say that? I thought you couldn’t stand him.”

“Yeah, but I won’t be the one kissing him,” Kindaichi snickered as he went back to his phone.

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t.”

“That’s it then? I’ll be alright?”

“Didn’t you say you’d be alright? You’re the one who saw your future, felt what you will feel. We know he’s not to that point yet, but isn’t it a relief that he will one day? And he won’t drive you nuts.”

“It was only one dream. I’m sure he’ll drive me nuts at some point,” Kunimi chuckled. 

“Sounds like you’ve accepted it already.”

Kunimi’s smile disappeared as he narrowed his eyes. “I have _not_. I’m still waiting for another dream to tell me I’m wrong.” 

“Sure, good luck with that.”

Kunimi pouted as Kindaichi started typing again. His eyebrows pinched together as his thumbs moved furiously. Apparently without his influence, the bickering had escalated to the point that he was worried. 

Oh well, not his problem. Kunimi ignored him for the rest of their lunch break, finally eating something out of his bento. He felt a little better after talking to Kindaichi about it, but he didn’t even want to consider what came next. Before having his dream, meeting with Kageyama again wasn’t even on his radar. He had been satisfied just asking Tsukishima and Hinata about him whenever they were around, making sure he was still alive or whatever. It’s not like he actually _cared_ …

**Kageyama—**

“Come on, you guys! I want to go in this one next!”

“You don’t have to run, Shoyou. The store isn’t going to run away before we get there.” 

Kageyama glanced up at Tsukishima who seemed more amused than annoyed by his boyfriend’s antics. Yamaguchi snickered on the other side of him, a bounce in his step as they all trailed after Hinata. Kageyama turned back to the front and smiled. Typically, he’d be running after Hinata in order to beat him to the store. With how preoccupied his mind had been lately, it was nice just to enjoy the random excursion with his friends.

It was unusual for them all to get together like that, but the school year had just started, and they wanted to do something special for Yachi. She was the only manager now that Shimizu had graduated and even though she enjoyed doing it, it was a lot of hard work. At first, they all argued over what would be the best gift, clothes, chocolates, flowers, and finally, Yamaguchi put his foot down and said some new colored pens or stationery would be the best. 

It wasn’t a surprise to anyone that Yamaguchi was the one to notice her current pens going dry. Even Kageyama had picked up on his crush on her and while he hoped for the best, it was soon obvious that they weren’t intended for each other. Yachi had been extremely private about the whole issue, which was why it came as a shock when she ran into her soulmate at Nationals that past year. 

It wasn’t necessarily that her soulmate was a girl that was the huge surprise, or even that she was Tanaka’s childhood friend. Amanai Kanoka happened to be from Niiyama Girls’ High School, the top girls’ volleyball team in Miyagi Prefecture. As a starting wing spiker for the team, Kanoka was just as skilled as she was sweet. 

They were a good match and Kageyama was happy to see Yachi with someone who would probably smother her in love. He felt a little bad for Yachi, watching her turn red as a tomato as Nishinoya gave her several thumbs up as he stared up at Kanoka in wonder. He felt even worse for Yamaguchi, seeing how crushed he was, and yet he didn’t seem surprised. 

_I should have known it wasn’t her when I kept having dreams,_ Yamaguchi muttered to him once when he caught Kageyama glancing at him worriedly. Then he put on a brave smile and nudged Kageyama playfully. _Don’t worry about me. There’s a really cute girl out there who is my soulmate and I look forward to meeting her._

“Hinata, remember to keep your voice down,” Yamaguchi whispered, giving an apologetic smile to the clerk in the stationery store.

“Sorry, I’m just excited. There are so many things to write with in here!”

“Perhaps you should learn to write properly before trying out different tools for it.”

“Kei, stop being a jackass. Are you my soulmate or not?”

“There’s no law written that you shall not be a jackass to one’s soulmate. I think sometimes it’s required to keep the other in check.”

Yamaguchi caught Kageyama’s eye and shook his head, exasperated by the duo. Kageyama smiled back and rolled his eyes. It filled him with a sense of pride that, while his dreams showed him occasionally bickering with his soulmate, most of their moments together would be peaceful… rejuvenating. 

It filled him with a sense of longing. Before his dreams, he didn’t care anything about romance or love. He was excited enough to simply have friends; having a significant other seemed a far-off concept to him. Besides, who had time for it when he lived and breathed volleyball?

The previous night’s dream suddenly flooded his mind, an intimate scene of him making love to his soulmate. He was tall, almost as tall as Kageyama himself, but he seemed perfectly comfortable settled on his lap. The dream didn’t show him much, but he could feel his soulmate’s lean body under his hands, breathing in the sharpness of his cologne as he buried his face into his neck. 

Kageyama focused on the stacks of bright red paper in front of him and knew his face was matching the hue. He coughed and moved along, trying to focus on Yachi instead of replaying filthy scenes from his future. Everything seemed to blend together until he caught sight of one pad of stationery that was light blue with golden stars decorating the corners.

“What about this?” He asked, picking it up and handing it to Yamaguchi.

“That’s perfect! Good eye, Kageyama.”

“What? The king actually used his brain? All the kingdom shall rejoice on this momentous occasion.”

“Shut up, Kei. Good job, Kageyama!” 

Hinata gave him a thumbs-up as he beamed. Between Tsukishima and Hinata, Kageyama wasn’t sure which reaction he preferred, so he turned to Yamaguchi instead.

“Thanks. I just thought it looked like her.”

“Definitely. Now we just have to choose the pens she likes, and we can call it a day. Hinata? Are you okay?” 

Kageyama followed Yamaguchi’s worried look to see Hinata staring out the front window of the shop, his focus as keen as when he tracks the volleyballs Kageyama sets to him. He surged forward suddenly and sped around them, flying out of the store like a blur.

“What the hell?” Kei whispered, his expression concerned for once as he followed behind. 

Out the window, they saw Hinata yell excitedly and run full speed at someone just out of their line of sight. Whoever it was, they were completely tackled to the sidewalk, but they could hear him laughing along with Hinata.

Kageyama glanced at Tsukishima and was surprised to find that he was no longer worried. Instead, he seemed hopeful, his lips parted as he ran out of the shop himself. Kageyama’s mind was still spinning at seeing him run when he saw another figure appear in front of the window, trying to get away from the ruckus. 

_Kunimi_.

It all made sense now, figuring out that the person lying on the sidewalk beneath Hinata was Kindaichi. It was confirmed by the way Tsukishima smiled softly and went to peel Hinata off him. Kunimi, on the other hand, abandoned his friend to his fate and came into the shop they were in. 

Kageyama’s chest clenched at the sight of him. They hadn’t spoken since Karasuno beat Aoba Johsai in the Spring High Preliminaries. It was such a long time ago that they were teammates at Kitagawa Daiichi, friends at first until he destroyed it. It took playing against him and seeing his true skills revealed with Oikawa as his setter. There was hardly anything that filled him with more regret than that. Kunimi couldn’t keep up with his expectations and as a result, Kageyama missed his worth.

As Kunimi wandered further into the shop, Kageyama shuffled next to Yamaguchi and pretended to look over the pens for Yachi. Unfortunately, Yamaguchi plucked a particular set up and announced that he found the right one, promptly walking up to the counter to pay for it. Sighing, Kageyama turned back to the pens anyway and stared at the insane amount of color options they had. 

There were so many that he started to get dizzy and he had to step back from them. He couldn’t comprehend needing so many, but he had seen Yachi’s notes. Her color-coding always made them easier to understand and because of that, his own grades were steadily improving.

Kageyama startled when he heard a snicker next to him. As he turned, he spotted Kunimi standing at the end of the aisle, putting away his phone as if he’d just snapped a picture of him. 

“I don’t know what those pens did to you but please don’t murder them. I like this shop.”

“You do? Oh yeah, your calligraphy…”

Kunimi’s smirk disappeared. “You remember that?”

“Of course, it wasn’t that long ago. Usually, I can’t read fancy writing, but I could read yours.”

Kunimi looked away from him, a slight blush rising on his cheeks. “Whatever. Why are you all here?”

“We’re picking out a gift for our manager.”

“The cute one?”

Kageyama frowned. “I guess she is, I don’t know. Most people say she’s cute.”

“But you don’t think so?”

“I never really thought about what makes something cute. It’s just not my thing.”

Kunimi hummed and wandered a bit closer. He still seemed set on not meeting Kageyama’s eyes but there was a strange tension growing between them. It wasn’t uncomfortable though, and he hoped that it would lead to some understanding between them and clear the air.

“Do you have a thing?”

“What?”

Kunimi huffed. “You know, a lot of guys like cute girls. Kindaichi likes salty jerks and bright balls of energy because he’s weird. What do you like?”

“Honestly I’ve never thought about romance or attraction, just too focused on volleyball.”

Kunimi stifled his laughter and glanced back at Kageyama over his shoulder. “I shouldn’t even be surprised. I figured you’d marry a volleyball if you were able to.”

Heat flooded Kageyama’s cheeks and he rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, I know. But it has changed since my soulmate dreams started.”

“How so?”

Kageyama was startled by Kunimi’s quiet voice, the tone completely different from the teasing one he used before. His lips were pinched tight as he waited for Kageyama’s answer. He had no idea why Kunimi would react that way, but he decided not to hold him in suspense.

“I can see in the future that volleyball will always be important to me. But for the first time, there’s something— someone even more important to me.”

“More than volleyball?” Kunimi asked, his voice hardly above a whisper.

“Yeah. You know how you can feel what you feel in the future? The emotions I feel with him are more intense than while I’m competing. It’s weird that I’m actually nervous about it, I don’t really worry about things.”

“Why are you nervous?”

Kageyama opened his mouth to answer and stopped. Kunimi was facing him completely now, all of his attention focused on Kageyama. Usually, it took a lot for Kunimi to be interested in something; he always seemed bored with everything going on around him. There was an urgency in his eyes currently, a critical interest in what Kageyama had to say about his soulmate.

“Why do you care?”

Kunimi’s breath hitched and he looked around in a hurry. “Sorry, I’ll see you around.”

“Wait— I didn’t mean that in a bad way!” Kageyama cried, reaching out to grab Kunimi’s arm before he could move away. “I was just surprised. I didn’t think you cared at all… about me.”

Kunimi looked down at his arm where Kageyama held it. He released it immediately, mumbling a _sorry_ under his breath, but his body remained tense. It was poised and ready to run after Kunimi if he tried to escape the conversation.

“We were friends once,” Kunimi said softly, staring at the floor in front of him. “Why shouldn’t I care?”

“I wouldn’t blame you for not caring considering the way I treated you. For a long time now I’ve been wanting to apologize for it. Kunimi?” He waited until Kunimi met his gaze. “I’m sorry for what happened in middle school. You guys didn’t deserve it and I was acting like an idiot. You don’t have to forgive me or anything, I just wanted you to know how I feel.”

“I forgive you. I’m not the type to hold grudges,” Kunimi sighed. 

Kageyama relaxed and nodded. “Thank you. Also, you were really impressive during our match. I’m glad Oikawa-san was your captain and setter. He could see your worth better than I could in middle school. I feel like an idiot now.”

“Well, you are,” Kunimi mumbled. He was staring at the floor again, tapping his foot against it impatiently. Kageyama wondered if he was pushing the subject too far until he spied the corner of Kunimi’s mouth rising in a smile. 

“I also look forward to playing you guys again.”

Kunimi scoffed. “Me too, because you guys are going to lose.” To emphasize his point, he pulled the skin under his eye down and stuck out his tongue.

Kageyama smiled. It felt like a massive weight had been lifted from his shoulders and something warm and comforting had replaced it. Kunimi, on the other hand, gawked at him as if he’d grown a second head.

“What’s wrong?”

“You’re… smiling.”

“Oh, sorry.”

“Why are you apologizing?!”

“Because everyone says my smile is creepy.”

Kunimi snorted with laughter but for some reason, he didn’t feel irritated by it at all. 

“I think when you _try_ to smile it’s creepy, but when you naturally do it it’s alright.”

“Good to know.”

“I guess some things do change,” Kunimi said, reaching out to bump his fist against Kageyama’s arm. “I’ll see you around, Kageyama. Maybe next time we do, you’ll have gained a few more brain cells as well.”

“What’s up with you and Tsukishima? I have plenty of brain cells!”

Kunimi didn’t answer but continued to snicker as he walked to the door. Kageyama looked around and saw that Yamaguchi was already outside, talking to the others. He nodded to the shopkeeper and followed Kunimi, glancing briefly at the wall of calligraphy pens that had gone unnoticed by Kunimi. The strange thing was that there was no way he could have missed them when he entered.

**Kunimi—**

“There’s no avoiding this, so you should stop sighing. You’re wasting energy,” Kindaichi chuckled as he pinched the front of his shirt and wafted it to get some air. It was the middle of May and yet it felt like the dead of summer with a strange heat wave terrorizing all of Japan. Kunimi was convinced that it wasn’t torturing anyone as much as it was him and the last thing he needed was a practice match at Karasuno.

“Why do we have to practice here? Can’t we go up against Shiratorizawa or Wakutani? Dateko?”

“Anyone but Kageyama, you mean? Does the sight of him make you hot and you’re afraid you might melt?” 

“First of all, I hate you. Second, no.”

“Right. So, you not wanting to be here has nothing to do with Kageyama.”

“I’m just tired of dealing with you and your sappy soulmates.”

“Did you just call Kei sappy? I think he’d be horrified at the thought.”

“He’s totally sappy, he just doesn’t realize it.”

“It’ll be you one day.”

“Ew.”

Kindaichi grinned and leaned forward to glance out the window. “Looks like we’re there. Don’t make that face, you look sick.”

“I am sick. It’s too hot to do anything. Maybe coach will let me sit out.”

“He knows you too well, so probably not. Come on, if you don’t play then you won’t have anything to distract you from Kageyama.”

Kunimi ground his teeth together until his jaw started to get sore. “I really hate it when you’re right.”

Kindaichi puffed up like a vain peacock and hummed absentmindedly to himself. Seeing his good mood made Kunimi’s even worse, so he chose to stare out the window as the bus swung into the parking lot. It was just a practice match and however it ended up, Kunimi wasn’t expected to interact with the other team. Luckily, he had other friends besides Kindaichi, and he could easily abandon him when he would inevitably be tackled by his two soulmates.

With that thought in mind, he trailed after his team as they made their way into the gym. Karasuno had already set it up and were performing warm-up drills for which Kunimi was relieved. He smirked as Kindaichi pouted but when Hinata spotted him and waved wildly, his friend brightened like the sun escaping from behind a dark cloud. 

The moment was short-lived as a volleyball collided with Hinata’s face and knocked him back several feet.

“Hinata, you dumbass! Pay attention while we’re playing!”

Kunimi had to hold Kindaichi back from going to check on him. “Take it easy, Tsukishima has him.”

“Yeah, but—”

“You’ll get hit with more balls if you try to go over there. You need to focus.”

“Fine,” Kindaichi muttered, dragging his feet after Yahaba. 

Kunimi sighed and glanced back to the court. His eyes grazed over Hinata and Tsukishima, the latter helping him up with a lecture murmured into his soulmate’s ear. Kunimi’s gaze continued around until it inevitably landed on Kageyama, setting up for a jump serve. 

Despite just yelling at Hinata, Kageyama looked calm and cool as he took a deep breath. Kunimi had seen many jump serves over the years, Oikawa’s being one of the most impressive and beautifully executed. Still, his heart caught in his chest as he watched Kageyama perform his own serve, every movement full of precision and strength. The ball shot from the palm of his hand to the other side of the court, barely missed by Karasuno’s agile libero. 

It used to piss Kunimi off to see Kageyama’s pride. He wasn’t sure if it was just his opinion that had changed or Kageyama’s own attitude, but it didn’t affect him the same way anymore. His confidence seemed to contain less cockiness than before, less ferocity, and more humble satisfaction. Kunimi felt a blossom of pride in his own chest at seeing it but he quickly shook it off to rejoin his teammates. Soulmate or not, he wasn’t ready to go _that_ far.

He wasn’t even sure if he wanted Kageyama to realize that they were soulmates. At the moment, he was fine with him being oblivious. Although it made his recent actions more curious, starting from the moment they met in the stationary shop. Ever since then, Kageyama had made some attempts to text him about things, his curt, awkward wording never failing to make Kunimi sputter with laughter. 

Kunimi prepared to enter the court in a daze, his eyes ping-ponging between his volleyball gear and Kageyama. He was aware enough to avoid colliding with anyone, trying his best not to capture Kindaichi’s attention and suffer the inevitable teasing that would follow. In his present circumstance, he wasn’t sure he could handle any more awareness of his relationship with Kageyama. 

There was one thing he was jealous about and that was that Kageyama still had soulmate dreams. Kunimi had only the one, so he had barely any idea of what their future relationship would be like. Meanwhile, Kageyama had months of dreams showing him their future and he still couldn’t figure it out. Kunimi wanted him to realize it only so he could stop having sneak peeks. It was petty but he couldn’t care less.

Once the practice matches finally started, Kunimi could finally focus, pushing all thoughts of Kageyama to the back of his mind. There were six players on each side of the court, plenty of people to observe and act accordingly. And although Karasuno had lost their reliable third years from the year before, they had plenty of strong players left to contend with.

As usual, he conserved most of his energy for the latter part of the game. It kept his movements sharp and precise. His mind was clear, and he was already seeing patterns emerging for the individual players, little tells they gave off when they were going to pull off a certain move. At one point, three spikers came charging toward the net at different times. Each one gave off the feeling that _they_ were the one Kageyama was going to toss to, so Kunimi’s focus zeroed in on Kageyama instead. He narrowed his eyes at his hands, wrists, eyes, every little twitch of his body. His breath hitched when he realized Kageyama’s intention and he surged forward, barely saving the ball when Kageyama dumped it instead of setting it. 

Kunimi was on the ground while Yahaba set the saved ball and sent it to Kindaichi. By the time he rose to his knees, the ball had been spiked and the point was theirs. While his teammates cheered around him, Kunimi’s gaze was captured by Kageyama’s through the net. 

He was obviously irritated that Kunimi hadn’t been fooled, but there was a competitive glimmer in his eye and a slight quirk to his lips. Kunimi smirked back and stuck out his tongue. It broke the moment of tension and Kageyama huffed out a laugh.

 _Next time_ , he mouthed and started to turn away. Kunimi started to stand when he froze halfway, watching as Kageyama lifted the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face. Why he’d do that when he had tendrils of sweat slipping over his rippling abs, Kunimi had no idea. His mouth went dry at the sight and he wondered if Kageyama would mind him helping. His tongue could lap all that up in a jiffy.

“You alright? You’re not hurt, are you?”

Kindaichi’s voice snapped Kunimi out of his fantasy and he quickly stood all the way, wiping his forehead to hide his red face.

“I’m fine, just distracted.”

“Couldn’t imagine what’s distracting you.” From Kindaichi’s amused tone, he knew _exactly_ what was distracting him. “Why’s your face red? You’re not feeling sick, are you?”

Kunimi clenched his teeth and gave his friend the most scathing glare he could. “Fuck off.”

It was rare that Kunimi would say that to Kindaichi of all people. Unfortunately, he seemed absolutely delighted to be on the receiving end of it and gasped in mock offense. Luckily, Kyoutani made a grunting sound on the other side of Kindaichi, reminding them that the game was continuing on. 

From then on, it was harder focusing purely on the game. He managed to not make any foolish mistakes, but he could tell he wasn’t at his best. It would have been easier if Kageyama hadn’t rolled up his sleeves. It never occurred to him that he’d have a muscle kink but there was no denying it when he wanted to hang off Kageyama like a monkey.

He couldn’t have been more relieved when their practice matches finally ended and he could drain the entire contents of his water bottle. When he wiggled the bottle, hearing nothing inside, Kunimi pouted. It had done nothing to quench his thirst. He huffed and tossed it into his bag, zipping it forcefully closed. 

“Are you going to talk to him?”

Kunimi startled at Kindaichi’s voice and glared at him from over his shoulder. “I thought you were snuggling with your soulmates?”

“I don’t have to snuggle them every moment. Besides, Kei doesn’t like snuggling when we’re sweaty.”

“And Hinata?”

Kindaichi smiled, a pink tint emerging on his cheeks. “He always likes snuggling, regardless of the situation. But you’re just standing here. You could say _something_ to him.”

“What would be the point?”

“The more you two interact, the more you’ll help him figure it out. He’s smart when it comes to volleyball, but you know he’s an idiot everywhere else.”

“I know.” Kunimi pressed his lips together and gazed across the gym. Kageyama was listening to his captain, nodding occasionally as he twirled a ball in his hands. His breath hitched when Kindaichi shoved him forward. He managed to stay on his feet, but he whirled around and flipped his best friend off, receiving the expected laugh in return.

“Ask him about the fucking weather, I don’t care. Next time you see him will probably be Interhigh.”

Kunimi rolled his eyes but dragged his feet across the gym anyway. It took him forever, weaving between ball carts and rolled up nets. By the time he caught sight of Kageyama again, he was talking to one of his fellow second years, the pinch server that Kunimi wasn’t familiar with yet. They were speaking in low voices and though Kageyama’s expression was normal and attentive, the other one looked like he was about to break down. It had Kunimi’s steps slowing down to a crawl.

“You alright, Kunimi?”

He startled and turned toward Yahaba who had been standing nearby, keeping a wary eye on Kyoutani to make sure he didn’t start any brawls. He did seem to be having some intense stare-downs with the baldy from Karasuno. Kunimi shook his head and stepped near him, trying to keep his eye on Kageyama without being obvious.

“I’m fine, just wondering if you needed any help with anything.”

Yahaba’s eyebrows shot up and he quickly pressed the back of his hand to Kunimi’s forehead. “I’d ask if the heat was getting to you, but that would usually make you lazier.”

Kunimi huffed and opened his mouth to retort, but movement in the corner of his eye drew his attention. Kageyama had wrapped his arm around his teammate and drew him into a hug. The teammate dropped his head to Kageyama’s shoulder and Kunimi watched in horror as Kageyama slipped his hand into his friend’s hair. Kunimi stared at the locks sifting between Kageyama’s long, elegant fingers and felt his stomach ball up like a wad of paper to be tossed in the trash can.

He wouldn’t have admitted it to anyone, but he had been daydreaming of his future with Kageyama. There was a fiendish delight that he would be the only one to know his affectionate side. It was one of the aspects of their relationship he was looking forward to the most, exploring each other through touch and laughing at Kageyama’s awkwardness. 

But in a single moment, that was ripped away. Seeing him with his friend, Kunimi wondered if perhaps the entire time he’d been wrong and that Kageyama wasn’t his soulmate. It was difficult to breathe at the thought, his chest squeezing so tightly that it ached. His logic kicked in, thank goodness, reminding him that he’d only had one dream and it was months ago, something that only happened when you met your soulmate for the first time or realized who it was.

Still, it was unbearable seeing the tenderness oozing from Kageyama’s gaze as they pulled back from the hug. His friend’s face was blotchy in areas, but he wasn’t crying yet. He lifted his chin and smiled at Kageyama, their faces so intimately close to each other that Kunimi was screaming in his mind.

“Excuse me!” someone shouted behind him, and Kunimi jumped out of the way before he was run over by Karasuno’s libero, arms full of volleyballs. He watched him pass by with his hand on his chest, feeling his heart pounding from within. Most of the gym was cleaned up and he was standing in the middle of it like an idiot. Even Yahaba had moved on, guiding their first years out of the gym. 

Kunimi went to follow but stole one more glance at his adulterous soulmate. Kageyama’s stone-gray eyes were on him already and he froze instantly. His friend had already walked away, so there was nothing else to distract him. In fact, there was no one else left in the vicinity, everyone else piling into the equipment room or wandering outside. Kunimi felt naked and exposed, standing half a court away from his soulmate as he stared back at him like an idiot. 

So, he ran. Kageyama’s eyes burned on the back of his head, but he rushed to the door like his life depended on it. His muscles screamed at him to slow down, his lungs burning from the games they’d just played but he wasn’t about to stop. Even as he stepped out the door and winced in the unforgiving sun, he refused to slow down. He had to get to safety.

Too late, he heard the pounding footsteps behind him. There was no time to speed up as two hands pressed against his arms, firm enough to hold him back but still somehow gentle. 

“Kunimi,” Kageyama murmured behind him, breath puffing against the back of Kunimi’s neck. Goosebumps washed over his skin, the only part of him that could move. “Kunimi, are you okay?”

Kunimi drew in a deep, shuddering breath and slowly turned around, breaking Kageyama’s hold on him. “I’m fine. Why?”

“It just seemed like something was wrong. It also looked like you wanted to talk to me.”

“Why would I want to talk to you?” he spat back, lifting his gaze and regretting it as the sun burned his retinas. His face wrinkled up and he considered moving away when cool darkness fell across his face. Kunimi fluttered his eyes and looked up; Kageyama’s hand was cupped in the air, hovering above Kunimi’s face to shield it completely from the sun. 

He glanced back at Kageyama. As usual, there was a frown on his face, but it seemed tighter, perhaps even a little hurt. The words he had just uttered suddenly flashed in his mind and he sighed, feeling intense guilt mixing in with the influx of negative emotions he was already feeling.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean that.”

“It’s okay. I didn’t expect that you’d want to talk to me. I was just saying that you looked like you did.”

“It was nothing, I just wanted to tell you that we’re going to kick your ass at Interhigh. That is, if you can keep from being kicked out early on from a lesser team.”

Kageyama’s face softened, as did the grip in Kunimi’s chest. “You can try, but I think we both know who will come out on top.”

Kunimi couldn’t hold his mind back from spinning straight into a gutter. _Hmm, we’ll see about that._

“Is your friend okay?” he asked suddenly, regretting it the instant he did. It was stupid of him to be so worried about it but he couldn’t help but wonder what was between them. At least he had faith that Kageyama wouldn’t be able to see through it.

Sure enough, Kageyama cocked his head as he thought about it. He looked like a dumb puppy. It was excruciating, but Kunimi was able to fight off the urge to pat his head.

“Oh, Yamaguchi? He’s not, but he will be eventually.”

“I don’t see why he was upset. He was playing well, even got some balls past Watari-san, which isn’t easy.”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with volleyball, it’s something else.” Kageyama pursed his lips and looked around them. When he finally turned back to Kunimi, his face was grave. “He’s a bit heartbroken over his soulmate. He liked someone, thinking she was his soulmate and then found out that she already had one. And it’s not a situation like Tsukishima, Hinata and Kindaichi where they all end up together. It crushed him.”

Kunimi’s lips parted, but there was nothing he could say. A few minutes before, he had considered that he might be wrong about Kageyama being his soulmate and it felt like his soul was torn to shreds. Even at that moment when he had shaken off the idea and faced the facts logically, the pain still echoed on the edges of his mind. He couldn’t imagine how terrible it would be to deal with that situation for real.

“I’m sorry for him. That’s got to be hard.”

Kageyama nodded. “Yeah, he’s been trying to move on and look forward to the future, but she’s always around, trying to be a good friend.”

“She doesn’t know?”

“No. She’s really smart, much smarter than I am—”

“Not hard to imagine.”

Kageyama scoffed, but he mirrored Kunimi’s smirk with one of his own. “But she’s got her own soulmate on her mind, school, managing the team… and he’s keeping it as quiet as he can. It’s just that sometimes it gets to be too much.”

“I see. Well, I hope it gets better for him… or we’re _really_ going to annihilate you guys.”

Kageyama’s grin widened and he took a step closer. “Try it.”

Kunimi shivered. He couldn’t _wait_ to try it. He couldn’t wait to do a lot of things. 

They were standing the same distance Kageyama and his friend had been earlier, but the energy between them was entirely different. It was hot and crackling, charging up the longer they battled with their stares. Just to push Kageyama a little further, Kunimi straightened up to his full height. He snickered when he saw Kageyama’s confusion; realizing that Kunimi stood a few centimeters over him when he wasn’t slouched. 

“Come on, Kunimi! We’re leaving!” 

He deflated at Yahaba’s voice and stepped back a few steps. Even under the glaring sun, he felt colder the further he drew away from Kageyama’s presence. It might have been his imagination, but he could have sworn Kageyama was disappointed as well. 

“See you later, Kageyama.”

“Yeah.”

Kunimi turned away and lumbered toward the bus, hooking his hands in the waistband of his shorts. His clothes were disgustingly damp, and he couldn’t wait to take a cold shower. Still, he had a strange feeling that he would have been fine being a little uncomfortable for a while longer if it meant he could interact with Kageyama more. 

It seemed that all three of them, Kindaichi, Kageyama, and himself, had let the hurtful past go. It wasn’t as it had been before Kageyama had turned into a tyrant, when he was just a clueless first year with his big blue eyes, soaking in everything he could to improve himself. Their situation was entirely different. _He_ was different. 

The bus started pulling away before he’d even sat down next to Kindaichi. When he flopped into the seat, he waited for the inevitable flood of irritating questions, but they never came. He stole a glance at Kindaichi to find him on his stupid phone with a stupid smile on his face. That pissed him off more than the questions he had expected. 

“Oi, didn’t you _just_ see them? What would you have to talk about?”

“You and your soulmate, of course.”

Kunimi’s face contorted with instant rage, but Kindaichi only snickered in response. “ _What_?! You told them?”

“No, of course not. And it’s not them, it’s Kei. He saw you staring at Kageyama and talking to him and asked if that was the case. I’m not going to lie.” Kindaichi finally glanced up from his phone and shrugged. “You don’t have to worry, he won’t tell anyone. Not even Shoyou.”

“I didn’t think you’d two would keep secrets from him.”

“We wouldn’t if it had anything to do with us. But that’s your business, and Kageyama’s if he ever figured it out. I can’t believe he hasn’t, he even seems drawn to you.”

Kunimi’s cheeks grew hot. “No, he doesn’t. It’s just— you know, he knows me and stuff.”

Kindaichi stared at him as if he’d grown another head. “I’ve never heard you give a less convincing argument. I think he’s starting to affect you.”

“Shut it.”

“You two looked really cute out there, by the way. It was romantic how he ran after you, almost like a movie.”

“ _Shut it_.”

Kindaichi chuckled but let it go, going back to texting on his phone. Kunimi sighed and leaned his head back. He stared at the seat in front of them, ignoring the patterned upholstery and seeing Kageyama’s stupid face instead. His hair had been damp, matted and pushed to the side, most likely from him wiping the sweat off his forehead. 

He had been too overwhelmed in the moment, but in the back of his mind, he’d picked up on his natural musk. It was the same scent from his dream and as much as he wanted to hose his sweaty ass down, he also wanted to grab the collar of his t-shirt, pull him down and bury his face into his neck. He wanted Kageyama’s arms around him, hoisting him up in his embrace despite the fact that he was the taller one. Was it possible to miss something that hadn’t even happened yet?

**Kageyama—**

_When he opened his eyes within the veiled dream, Kageyama was walking up a flight of stairs. His body had the usual ache it did after a hard practice, but there were more along with it. The kind of residual pain that clung to bones from years of wear and tear. He hadn’t experienced it much himself since he was still young and healthy, but he knew some players who dealt with it. He’d seen Oikawa after a game, slipping off his knee brace with a wince._

_There was another kind of pain seeping into his chest. It was the type that stemmed from a low mental state and from the stress of it, started to harm the body. Kageyama hated feeling that way, the familiarity of it drawing up bad memories._

_His future self sighed heavily and paused outside a door. Slipping out his keys, he fiddled with them a bit before unlocking the door. The apartment seemed dim inside as he pushed the door open, but light enough to know it was occupied. Sure enough, as he turned to slip off his shoes, he heard light and quick footsteps running up behind him._

_Just the sound of them eased the grip on his chest but before he could turn around, a heavy body slammed against his back and a set of long legs wrapped tightly around his waist. He staggered to keep his footing, experiencing a spike of irritation, but a musical laugh in his ear demolished it immediately._

_“You’re late,” the voice said, trying to use a petulant tone but it came out more like a tease._

_“Yeah.”_

_“That’s it? No explanation?”_

_“Practice ran late and… I messed up a lot today and coach took me aside.”_

_The body against him stiffened but still made no move to release him._

_“Was it that bad?”_

_“No, but they expect a lot from me considering how many consecutive years I’ve been the lead setter. There are younger players with a lot of talent just waiting to take my spot.”_

_“Thinking about retirement already?”_

_“It’s crossed my mind. Ouch!” he yelped when a hand came down hard on his head._

_“Idiot. What would you even do? I know you’re getting older, but you’re still in better condition than most of the team.”_

_“Yeah, but—”_

_His breath hitched as a hot tongue flicked across his ear lobe. He closed his eyes, savoring it and his soulmate’s soft laugh._

_“You just need a pick-me-up. I know how much you like it when I lick you,” he paused, grazing his tongue up the edge of his ear. When he gently tugged on it with his teeth, it sent shivers across Kageyama’s body. “Come on, you need a shower.”_

_“I thought you were going to pick me up?” Kageyama asked, a smirk forming on his lips._

_“It’ll be more efficient in the shower. You get clean while I suck you off. What do you say?”_

_Kageyama was grinning widely now and although his soulmate was weighing heavily on his already fatigued muscles, he felt infinitely lighter. There was a flutter of expectation that coursed through him, giving him a little warning when he twisted as far as he could, lips searching out their match. He only had to wait a moment before they were kissing feverishly, his soulmate’s hands gripping into his hair._

_Very quickly that wasn’t enough, and his soulmate scrambled to Kageyama’s front instead of his back. Laughter sputtered between their lips and Kageyama stumbled forward, pressing his soulmate into the wall to keep from falling. He tipped his head back, breathless as Kageyama attacked his throat with light kisses and teeth grazes._

_It wasn’t the first sexual dream Kageyama had about his soulmate. From what he could tell, they maintained a healthy sexual lifestyle, even as they grew older. This one hit him differently, however._

_There was an element of silliness with desperation, which was surprising since his soulmate didn’t seem like a goofy person. Perhaps it was due to Kageyama’s low mood that he was putting in extra effort. It was also possible that they brought it out in each other since his future self was giggling along with him. Whatever the reason, it didn’t matter much to Kageyama. He loved it regardless, and it filled him with longing for the future._

_His attention was snapped right back to the dream as his soulmate’s shirt came off. With him pinned to the wall, Kageyama was able to lean back and admire his soulmate’s athletic body. He was slenderer than Kageyama, but he thought he was lovely. His future self thought so too as he hummed and pressed kisses across his chest._

_“I thought we were heading toward the shower.”_

_“We’ll get there eventually.”_

_His soulmate huffed out a laugh and stroked his fingers through Kageyama’s hair, coaxing him to continue. Kageyama nuzzled into his neck and kissed along his shoulder, stopping suddenly when he felt an indent in his skin. Lifting off it for a moment, his future self gazed at the light scar. He closed his eyes and kissed it tenderly, yet with purpose._

_“Sap,” his soulmate teased, and Kageyama’s lips smiled against his skin._

_The lovers eased back into their passionate kisses, but Kageyama’s mind wasn’t in it. He was focused entirely on the scar. The way it was shaped and where it marred his soulmate's skin, both aspects of it tugged at the edges of his mind like a word on the tip of his tongue. Why was it familiar?_

_It wasn’t entirely though. He pictured it fresh and bleeding, a shaky hand covering it and pale lips pressed tight. Large brown eyes glancing up at him, catching him staring._

Kageyama’s mind had been so consumed, he hardly even realized when he woke up. He blinked up at the ceiling and eventually looked around his room, still dark from the early hour. After checking the time, he sighed and straightened up, rubbing his face. His alarm would have gone off soon anyway, and a light run might be just the thing he needed to clear his head. After all, it was the morning of the preliminaries.

He went through the motions of washing up in a daze, the images of someone’s shoulder bleeding and then healed over in a scar flashing in his mind. His stomach squirmed whenever he pictured it with the blood, but he hadn’t been squeamish about such things in years. Kindaichi was worse than he was. He had to stand on the other side of the gym when Kunimi…

Kageyama gasped, but the intake of breath shot some toothpaste into his throat and he coughed violently to release it. When he could finally breathe again, he wiped his mouth and stared at himself in the mirror. He looked just as shocked as he felt.

It was Kunimi’s shoulder that was bleeding in his memory, during their second year at Kitagawa Daiichi. Their captain that year put more pressure on all of them and while Kageyama could keep up and relished the challenge, Kunimi seemed to fall further behind. Even back then, Kageyama could tell he hated to be yelled at. If only he had considered that his third year when he severed their friendships through his callous bossing. 

The captain yelled at Kunimi to go for a ball and that particular time, he actually listened. There were a few chairs and benches in front of him, but it would have taken too much time to go around. Kunimi tried jumping over them, not making nearly the height he needed due to his fatigue. He fell and his shoulder caught a sharp edge, cutting him through his shirt. 

It was the last time Kageyama had seen him go all out. He suddenly realized that it could be the whole reason he refused to do it. Not that it mattered anymore; Kunimi had figured out a way to be vital on the court without overexerting himself, pulling through for his team when they needed him most.

That wasn’t important at the moment anyway. More than anything, Kageyama needed to know if his soulmate’s scar was the same as Kunimi’s wound. If that was the case, then Kunimi could be his soulmate. The person who gasped his name whenever they were making love. The one who will stroke his hair with tenderness and call him an idiot a moment later.

He stood at the sink for ages, reevaluating every soulmate dream he’d ever had and piecing together the clues. Unfortunately, he was never good at remembering little details and since he wouldn’t have guessed that he was already acquainted with his soulmate, he just figured they’d pop into his life eventually. What mostly stuck out from his dreams were the feeling of them, the stages of their uncertainty with each other which suddenly made a lot more sense, and their subtle understanding of one another. One day, he would trust Kunimi with his heart. Even more surprising was that Kunimi would trust him with his own. 

His breath hitched when his phone buzzed on the counter and he quickly snatched it up to see who it was. 

**Hinata:** _On my way to school, I’m going to beat you today!_

Kageyama’s eyes widened and he checked the time. While he had been drowning in his thoughts about his soulmate, the time had flown by without him even realizing it. If he didn’t hurry, Hinata would beat him today and he couldn’t allow that. Not when they had the preliminaries; it would be a bad omen.

He splashed some water on his face and threw off his sleep clothes, getting dressed in a whirlwind. His bag had been packed the night before, thankfully, so all he needed to do was grab it, sneak through the kitchen to grab a quick breakfast, and run out the door. Dwelling on his constant competition with Hinata and the upcoming games that day relieved him of his soulmate worries for the time being. There was a time and a place for those kinds of thoughts and that day wasn’t one of them.

When he finally jogged up to the school, not only was Hinata hanging out outside the club room, Tsukishima was there with him. His critical eyes zeroed in on Kageyama immediately, followed by an insufferable smirk.

“Well, well, well… looks like the king finally graced us with his presence. Did his Majesty decide to sleep in today?”

“Shut up, I’m not the last one to arrive.”

“No, but you’re usually one of the first.”

“What are you doing here so early?”

Tsukishima shrugged, but his arms wrapped tighter around Hinata’s back. It was then that Kageyama realized Hinata hadn’t said anything and he wandered a few steps closer to investigate. But with Hinata’s face plunged into the front of Tsukishima’s jacket, he couldn’t tell what was wrong.

“He’s asleep,” Tsukishima explained, the smirk remaining on his face yet somehow emanating affection. One of his hands slid up into Hinata’s hair and gently stroked through it. Hinata mumbled something, but it was muffled and unintelligible.

“How can he be asleep?! Didn’t he ride his bike here?”

“I’m not sure he slept last night; too excited.”

Kageyama groaned. “Idiot.”

“For once, we agree. What’s up with you anyway?”

“What? Nothing. Just excited to play.”

Tsukishima cocked an eyebrow, but he said nothing as more voices echoed in the distance. Even as their teammates joined them, radiating with energy for the upcoming games, Hinata only buried deeper into Tsukishima’s embrace. Kageyama watched the pair curiously, remembering how they used to be before they discovered they were soulmates. He wondered if, with time and patience, he and Kunimi would be that comfortable as well.

His mind flickered with several visions from his soulmate dreams, the parts he could remember. Kunimi was almost always hanging off of him, or he would scoop him up into his arms, even with how tall and lanky he was. Kageyama’s cheeks grew uncomfortably hot, but it wasn’t from embarrassment. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait to start this new chapter of his life. He couldn’t wait to see Kunimi.

“Whaaaaaat the hell is with that disgusting smile on your face?”

Kageyama’s face contorted with his irritation and turned to Tsukishima. “None of your damn business.”

“Oof, touchy. Must be something extremely personal…. You’re right, I don’t want to know.”

Kageyama rolled his eyes. Ennoshita’s voice rose above everyone else’s, calling them all to the bus. His pulse fluttered with excitement and he set off after the others at a quick pace, leaving Tsukishima behind to deal with his comatose boyfriend. As he fell into step with Yamaguchi, he elbowed him gently. 

Yamaguchi lifted his head and smiled. Kageyama wasn’t sure what had happened, but the past couple of weeks had been good to his friend. In fact, the last time he’d looked down about his soulmate issues was when he had been at his lowest point. He had no idea if someone had said something or a realization just clicked inside Yamaguchi’s head, but Kageyama had no doubt that he had finally come to terms with everything. He’d finally let Yachi go.

Regardless, Yamaguchi still wasn’t his chatty self as they rode on the bus to Sendai Stadium. His gaze remained out the window, leaving Kageyama to dwell in his own thoughts. He never let any anxious feelings overpower him before big games like Hinata did. But today was different; he was going to see his soulmate.

He stole a glance across the aisle to see Hinata had fallen back asleep, slumped into Tsukishima’s side. With his headphones on, Tsukishima probably couldn’t hear Hinata’s snores, but he didn’t ignore him completely. His long arm was wrapped around him protectively as he gazed out the window. They seemed to fit perfectly and yet whenever Kindaichi was with them, they all seemed to fit just as nicely with each other as if all the parts of their trio were interchangeable. It didn’t make any sense to Kageyama.

He sighed and stared at the seat in front of him. Could he and Kunimi ever seem like such a perfect match? It was difficult to imagine, even if their relationship had improved drastically since middle school. Perhaps the fact that they were soulmates _was_ the reason it had been getting better.

Kageyama stiffened with several thoughts at once.

_Did Kunimi know? If he did, why didn't he say anything? Maybe he hasn’t had any dreams yet… when the hell is his birthday?!_

He had felt a shift in the atmosphere between them lately, but that didn’t mean Kunimi knew they were soulmates. It wasn’t impossible, however. He hadn’t failed to notice the way Kunimi was becoming more playful with him, watching him more closely with an occasional touch. Even their texts have been full of competitive banter. 

Could it be that Kunimi had been flirting with him the whole time? Kageyama wished he knew the first thing about flirting; it was a subject that left him completely baffled. If only he had more time to observe the blossoming couples around him before meeting up with Kunimi again. 

Before he knew it, the bus swerved into the parking lot of Sendai Stadium, and his stomach gripped with panic. He wanted to throw up or do something else. If that was how Hinata typically felt, he would have to apologize later. Or maybe not. Just because he knew how the scrub felt didn’t mean he had to spoil him with sympathy.

Kageyama took a deep, cleansing breath as the bus lurched to a stop. He seriously couldn’t worry about any of it at the moment; there were games approaching that needed winning. To do so, he would have to keep focused. Besides, that gym would be packed with different teams from nearly every school in Miyagi Prefecture. There was a chance he wouldn’t catch sight of Kunimi at all.

Although the thought was disappointing, Kageyama knew it would be for the best. He followed his teammates off the bus and soaked in the heady atmosphere. It was a battlefield and he had every intention of helping his team to victory. There was no time for thoughts of romance.

By the time they entered the gym, he felt better. His eyes flickered over the different teams, sizing them up and already making calculations in his mind. And if his eyes lingered over every team with primarily white jerseys and felt a spike of irritation whenever they proved not to be Aoba Johsai, no one else could have told the difference.

They checked over the brackets posted on the wall even though the initial line-ups had already been shared with all the participating teams. Nothing had changed from before and they had some time to kill before their first games. Kageyama huffed; he was ready to get into the action. 

For the time being, he followed the rest of the team through the crowded hallway toward the gym where the boys’ teams were playing. Kageyama was tall for his age, but it was getting more difficult to see around the other teams. He craned his head around and hopped up occasionally, trying to spot any flash of a white track jacket with aqua blue stripes.

“Kageyama, are you alright?”

He sighed and turned to Yamaguchi who was eyeing him with concern. “Yeah, why?”

“You just seem… tense. More than usual. And you keep looking around, is there someone you’re searching for?”

“What?! No.” Kageyama winced when Yamaguchi raised an unconvinced eyebrow. “Just looking for certain teams I want to play. Is that bad?”

Yamaguchi laughed. “Why would that be bad? There are lots I’d like to face! Especially the ones we haven’t been able to beat in practice matches.”

Kageyama glanced next to him. Yamaguchi’s eyes were glittering with expectation, his body radiating energy. Seeing him so ready for the upcoming games calmed Kageyama’s own nerves. There was nothing he loved doing more than volleyball and the day would be filled with it. Suddenly, he couldn’t wait to see what his team achieved.

A flash of white across the hall caught Kageyama’s eye and he stopped dead. It was a familiar trio of players, Yahaba, Kyoutani, and Watari all wandering through the crowds. His heart pounded as he plowed forward, craning his head around to catch a glimpse of the rest of the team.

“Kageyama?” Yamaguchi asked, but Kageyama’s feet had a mind of their own. He continued on his way with singular purpose. “Kageyama, watch out!”

Before he could react to Yamaguchi’s more urgent tone, Kageyama bumped into someone much smaller than him and a case of empty water bottles clattered across the floor. Kageyama blinked down to see a short girl in a yellow tracksuit, her face frozen in shock.

“Are you okay?” Yamaguchi asked, appearing beside them and touching her arm gently. 

She startled and nodded quickly, her eyes flickering over the devastation around them. “I’m fine, I’m so sorry!”

Yamaguchi clicked his tongue. “You have nothing to be sorry about, it was my friend who ran into you,” he said, casting a sharp eye in Kageyama’s direction.

Kageyama winced from the look and cleared his throat. “Yeah, sorry about that. We’ll help you clean it up.”

“No, no, no, I couldn’t ask that!”

She dropped to the floor and hastily gathered up all the bottles in the vicinity. Yamaguchi winced and knelt in front of her, picking up whatever she couldn’t reach. 

“Really, we are sorry. Here you go.”

“Thank you, you didn’t have to…” the girl trailed off mid-sentence as she glanced up and met Yamaguchi’s gaze, her hand grazing the water bottle in his hand. She stared at him, almost frozen except for the way her eyes grew larger and her jaw dropped lower and lower. Yamaguchi frowned and looked behind him, but there was no one else she could have been looking at. 

“Are you okay?” he asked cautiously.

She emitted a whine from her throat, but she seemed unable to speak any words. Yamaguchi looked worried as he exchanged a look with Kageyama, silently urging him to help. Kageyama dropped the bottles he’d gathered in the girl’s crate and snapped his fingers in her face, but her eyes remained glued on Yamaguchi.

“Hey! What the hell are you doing with our manager?! Are you bullying her?”

Kageyama and Yamaguchi flinched seeing Terushima Yuuji and the rest of Johzenji crowding in around them. They were typically an upbeat, friendly team, but at the moment they seemed more like a group of delinquents ready to rumble. Yamaguchi scrambled to his feet, shaking his head.

“I’m sorry, it was our fault, but it was an accident! We didn’t mean to bump into her.”

“Is that so? Listen, if that’s how you punks go around trying to meet cute girls, let me tell you straight out that it doesn’t work. You should be a bit nicer.”

“Terushima-san!” the girl finally cried, stealing everyone’s attention. “They are nice! It was just an accident and they were helping me clean up the bottles. Remember what Hana-san said about causing trouble.”

“We’re not the ones causing trouble!” Terushima snapped back, his lips twisting petulantly. He turned back to Yamaguchi and sneered in his face. “Come on, Runa-chan. Let me show this guy what happens when he picks on our manager.”

Kageyama fumed, clenching his hand into a fist. He was about to shove himself in between them to block Yamaguchi when the girl, Runa, did it first, throwing her hands out to the side in full defensive mode.

“You can’t, Terushima-san! He’s my soulmate!”

As Runa’s frantic voice echoed through the hall, all the surrounding teams and spectators suddenly froze. Terushima and the others calmed down in an instant, glancing back and forth between Runa and Yamaguchi. Slowly, all the surrounding people began to go about their business, the conversations rising around them like an ocean wave. The only one that had hardly moved was Yamaguchi himself, staring down at the top of Runa’s head as the blood drained from his face.

“No shit, seriously?” Terushima asked, craning his head around to look at Yamaguchi from every angle. “I thought you said he was cool.”

“He is! Now, if you don’t mind, can I talk to him?”

“Sure, sure, but we’re going to be right over there.”

Before Terushima moved away, he pointed in Yamaguchi’s face and then pointed two fingers back at his own eyes. Kageyama rolled his eyes and placed a hand on Yamaguchi’s back to support him. The touch did the trick and he drew in a deep breath. Not only did the color return to his face, but it darkened straight to a reddish tint.

Runa seemed to be overcome with agony herself as she dropped her hands to her sides and slowly turned toward them. She gazed up at Yamaguchi with her big brown eyes and nervously played with her hair. 

“Um, that’s not how I wanted to tell you. I’m so sorry! They just have terrible timing.”

“No! I mean, that’s fine,” Yamaguchi finally said, pausing to clear his throat when his voice came out raspy. “I’m just shocked that I’m meeting you at last. Are you sure it’s me?”

Runa bobbed her head quickly. “Yes! I know it’s you. I haven’t seen your face completely in my dreams, but I recognize your hair, how tall you are, the freckles underneath your eyes… Dashi?” 

Gulping, she reached up and stroked across Yamaguchi’s cheek. Kageyama swore he could see his hair floating up like a bird ruffling its feathers. Suddenly feeling like an intrusion, Kageyama clapped Yamaguchi hard on the back.

“I’ll tell the team that you found your cute soulmate.”

Runa yelped at hearing herself referred to as _cute_ and her face quickly turned a similar shade to Yamaguchi’s. Kageyama chuckled and walked away. Looking around, there was no sign of his team, or Aoba Johsai’s. He sighed and continued in the direction of the gym, casting one more glance over his shoulder. Yamaguchi had shaken off his shock at last and was beaming down at Runa as they talked quietly.

Kageyama smiled and turned away, finally stepping into the gym. Unfortunately, he ran smack into Tsukishima. Hearing Tsukishima’s irritated _tch_ , Kageyama shoved him back. 

“Watch where you’re going.”

Tsukishima sneered and loomed over him. “Maybe you should take your own advice, your Majesty. The captain was wondering where you and Yamaguchi ran off to.”

“I bumped into some girl who ended up being his soulmate. He’s still with her.”

Tsukishima’s eyes widened. “What did you say? His soulmate?”

“Yeah, right back there,” Kageyama said, twisting around and pointing them out. The crowds had mostly thinned out, and he could see the blushing couple more easily. All the shock and irritation disappeared from Tsukishima’s face as a pleased smile tugged at his lips. 

“That’s a relief. I’m going to talk to them, you can go fetch Shoyou.”

“Wait, why would I fetch Hinata? And why do you need to talk to them, they’re just getting to know each other.”

“Obviously both things are best friend business. I need to introduce myself to Yamaguchi’s soulmate, and you need to track Hinata down.”

“You two have been attached to the hip, why isn’t he with you now?”

“Because he had to go to the bathroom, as usual.”

“And you didn’t go with him?”

Tsukishima’s sharp eyes landed on him again as he cocked an eyebrow. “Why the hell would I accompany him to the bathroom? He may be my soulmate, but I won’t have anything to do with that.”

“But doesn’t he usually run into scary people in the bathroom?”

That caused Tsukishima to pause, humming as he pressed his lips tight. “That is true. Well, hopefully he’s not in trouble yet, but you should hurry up and find him. Bathroom is around the corner; do you need a map, your Majesty?”

“Shut up. Just go bother Yamaguchi.”

This time they both clicked their tongues as they turned away from each other, both off in search of their friends. It was probably for the best; although Tsukishima was tall and intimidating, Kageyama knew more people were afraid of him. Although for the life of him, he couldn’t understand why. 

Before he rounded the corner, Kageyama glanced back to see Tsukishima introducing himself to Runa, for once seeming congenial. Yamaguchi was preening like a peacock beside him, talking a mile a minute. Even Runa seemed more comfortable and giggled at the two of them. Kageyama had been concerned at Yamaguchi, but he had no idea how worried he was as the relief settled over him. It was going to be a good day.

“Oy, Kageyama. What’s with that face?” 

Kageyama stiffened at Kunimi’s voice, his whole body strangely frozen as internally everything went haywire. He wasn’t ready. He had only just convinced himself that he probably wouldn’t see Kunimi at all and that he should focus on the games, leaving himself entirely unprepared for a possible run-in. 

With a deep breath, he turned. Kunimi was watching him warily, hands shoved in his track jacket pockets. He had no idea how to behave and suddenly, to his own astonishment, he wished he had mentioned it to Tsukishima or Yamaguchi beforehand. Comparing Kunimi’s face to Runa’s, there wasn’t a shred of nervousness or giggly excitement about him. Then again, it was Kunimi.

“Hey. What face?”

Kunimi snorted. “You were smiling. Much too soft for the Kageyama I know.”

Kageyama’s face heated up and he looked away, running his fingers through his hair. “It was nothing. Yamaguchi met his soulmate and it’s nice seeing him so happy.”

He stole a glance back at Kunimi to gauge his reaction. 

“Ah,” was all he said as he nodded. If anything, he looked bored already. “Aren’t you playing soon?”

“We’re not up until the second round. You?”

“Same.”

This time, they both averted their eyes, Kunimi making a popping sound with his lips while Kageyama nervously bounced on his feet. It didn’t seem that Kunimi knew yet that they were soulmates, but he was certain that he had already turned sixteen. Perhaps all Kageyama needed to do was make him realize that the man in his dreams was right in front of them. 

The problem was that he had no idea what Kunimi’s dreams were all about. In his, Kageyama was usually picking him up and carrying him around, but he couldn’t just do that. Kunimi would literally murder him. Perhaps stroking his hair to the side? No, again, they weren’t to the point where he could touch him tenderly. Should he flirt? 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Kunimi asked, startling Kageyama. He had taken a step closer while he had been mentally freaking out, and his face was edging closer as he looked him over. 

“I’m fine! Just ready to get playing, you know,” he said with a fake laugh, wincing immediately at the unconvincing sound. It did, however, seem to amuse Kunimi.

“Right.” Kunimi smirked as his eyes roved over the length of Kageyama’s body. 

The intense gaze made him shiver and he was already beginning to sweat from their meager exchange. He wondered if he should call it quits for the moment and run away. It wasn’t like he never saw Kunimi and maybe, under different circumstances, they could have a better conversation about it. Kunimi, however, didn’t seem in any hurry to end it there as he reached up and fingered the collar of Kageyama’s jacket.

“Crooked.”

Kageyama emitted a whine through his throat, a sound he didn’t even know he could make. It felt like he’d stuck his whole head in an oven and to top it all off, Kunimi continued to fondle the collar of his jacket, letting his fingers graze Kageyama’s sensitive skin.

“Wow. Didn’t know it was so easy to get you flustered. I’ll keep that information for later.”

Kageyama blinked, watching Kunimi having the time of his life. He wasn’t nervous himself, but there was a pinkish tint emerging on his own cheeks. If it had been a year ago, he wouldn’t have gone near Kageyama, much less tease him or touch him gently. Perhaps he did know…

“Jeez, let’s find another bathroom,” another voice said as two younger players scurried around the corner.

“Yeah. I can’t believe anyone would bully such a little kid.”

_Bully… little kid…._

“Shit, Hinata!”

“What?”

“I’m supposed to be looking for Hinata and he always gets into trouble in the bathrooms.”

“Oh my god, you’re kidding.”

“No, I have to go. I…” he started, disappointment gripping his stomach as Kunimi released him and stepped back.

“I’ll go with you. He is my best friend’s soulmate. Plus, it would be fun to see you scare them off.”

Kageyama smiled and led the way around the corner. “Would it?”

“A little bit. If only people knew how harmless you were, even with that face.”

“I’m not harmless. And what’s wrong with my face?!”

Kunimi laughed and Kageyama nearly tripped over his feet. He hadn’t heard Kunimi laugh like that since their early days in middle school. His voice had deepened since then, but it was still cute. He wanted to hear it over and over.

“Calm down, it’s not that bad. Here’s the bathroom, go save the little idiot.”

Kageyama nodded and shoved up his jacket sleeves. He yanked the door open and stomped inside, immediately spotting Hinata to the left, pressed up against the wall with a huge guy leaning over him. Before he could shove the guy off, he recognized the familiar spiked hair and the white and aqua jacket.

“What the hell? Are you serious?!”

Kindaichi flinched and straightened up, his cheeks flushing bright red. “Oh, hey guys.”

“I thought someone was bullying Hinata in here.”

“He was!” Hinata huffed and yanked his zipped-up jacket a little lower around his waist. “He was being cruel, teasing me in a place like this.”

“You’re one to talk! You love teasing me in places where we can’t… you know.”

“Ugh, gross,” Kunimi said next to Kageyama, shaking his head. “Kindaichi, you’re in a bathroom, what were you even thinking?”

“With his dick,” Hinata explained simply, as if he’d been talking about any other part of his body.

Kindaichi squawked. “Sho, don’t say it like that. And what are you two doing together anyway? Getting in some _bonding_ time?”

Kageyama didn’t always pick up on social cues but given what he’d been through the last few hours, his senses were highly acute. He glanced between the two, watching as Kindaichi grinned smugly at Kunimi’s lethal glare. The words bubbled up in his mouth before he could even stop them.

“Wait, do you know?” Kageyama asked Kunimi. His head jerked toward Kageyama in an instant, his expression more intense than he’d ever seen it. 

“What?!”

“A-About you and me, that we’re so—” Kageyama’s words were cut off abruptly when Kunimi slammed his palm against his mouth, the _smack_ echoing off the tiled walls.

“Don’t… you… dare. Do not say one more word about what you were going to say. I will _not_ have this particular conversation with some guy trying to take a shit only a few feet away.”

“Sorry,” a voice called from behind a stall. “I’m trying to hurry.”

“Take your time, this is a bathroom,” Kunimi said, rolling his eyes. He leveled a look at Kindaichi, so cold that he stepped back and wrapped his arms around Hinata. “You two, stay here. Or better yet, get your asses back to the teams. Do not follow us.”

When they both nodded hurriedly, Kunimi released Kageyama’s mouth and dug his fingers into the front of his shirt. Kageyama yelped as he was yanked forward and dragged out of the bathroom. His feet scuffed the ground, trying to keep up with Kunimi’s terrifying pace. 

“Uh…”

“Not yet.”

“Okay.”

It wasn’t until they had walked to a completely different hallway that Kunimi stopped suddenly. He glanced to the left and shoved Kageyama in that direction. It was a small alcove of lockers and even though there was no one around, Kunimi shooed him in further until the row of lockers ended. He stopped him then and moved him up against them, so if anyone entered the alcove, they wouldn’t be easily seen.

For a minute, Kunimi stood in front of him, looking down at the floor. Kageyama’s heart was pounding wildly. He wanted to know what was going through his head and what he was about to do. It wasn’t the reaction he thought he’d get by hinting at their status as soulmates. 

“You know then?”

“Huh?”

Kunimi huffed so forcefully, Kageyama flinched away. Their eyes met at last and although Kunimi was frighteningly serious, he didn’t seem disgusted. That, at least, was a relief.

“You know the connection between us. That we’re…”

“Soulmates?”

Kunimi pressed his lips tight and nodded. “How long have you known?”

“I figured it out this morning. Last night was my final dream, I guess.”

“What tipped you off?”

Kageyama’s eyes immediately fell to his collarbone, hidden beneath a shirt and jacket. “I kissed your scar, the one you got in middle school. Once I realized the similarity, everything else fell into place.”

“Oh,” Kunimi whispered, his hand immediately rubbing the spot. “I’m surprised you remembered that.”

“I couldn’t forget. I was really worried about you at the time.”

Kunimi rolled his eyes. “That didn’t last long, considering what happened later.”

Kageyama winced. His hands curled into fists at his side, resisting the urge to reach out and embrace him. He knew it wasn’t time yet.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, it’s fine. We’re past that, remember?” He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. “So, what do you think about it? Are you disappointed?”

“No. Why would I be?”

Kunimi’s throat bobbed as he stared hard into Kageyama’s eyes. “Then, how do you feel about it?”

“Honestly? I’m still wrapping my head around it. But mostly I think I’m relieved.”

“Relieved? I didn’t expect that,” Kunimi said with a wry smile.

“You know me. You’ve known me through some dark times, and you’ve known me through better. And from what I’ve seen in the dreams, we end up getting along really well. I know it’ll be a while before we get to that point, but I’m looking forward to it.” Kageyama’s pulse raced as a sudden boldness surged through him. He reached out and took Kunimi’s hand, gently lifting it up between them. “I’m looking forward to a lot of things,” he whispered before touching his lips to the back of Kunimi’s fingers. 

“Fuck,” Kunimi hissed and seeing the way his face was contorted with emotion, Kageyama thought he was going to hit him. He jerked out of his hold and clasped both his hands against Kageyama’s face, keeping him still. There was hardly time to take a breath before Kunimi’s lips were on his and his back slammed hard against the lockers. 

Kageyama’s eyes were wide with shock, but he could see Kunimi’s shut as he pressed into the kiss. His brain could hardly compute how soft and warm his lips were, beyond anything he could have imagined. No one told him kissing could be like this, the intimacy of it. Their heated breaths mixed together and Kunimi’s fingers stroked over his cheeks. He couldn’t fathom how anything could be so overwhelming and yet peaceful at the same time, blocking the whole world from his mind.

Kunimi spread his mouth wider and ran his tongue over Kageyama’s lips. A shudder ran through him and all his apprehension and shock were obliterated. He plowed forward, wrapping his arms around Kunimi and lifting him up. There was a surprised yelp between their lips, but Kunimi only held on tighter, his fingers digging into Kageyama’s back. He moaned and turned them the other way around, pushing Kunimi’s back against the lockers instead.

Kunimi broke the kiss with a gasp, tipping his head back against the cold metal. “I knew you’d be bad at this.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

It came out more petulant than he intended, and Kunimi snickered as he leaned forward to nibble on his bottom lip.

“You’re too pushy. Softer, like this.”

He folded his lips over his bottom lip and sucked lightly on it. Then he released it and kissed him deeply but not harshly. When his tongue slipped into his mouth, Kageyama felt all his blood surge straight into his pants. He hummed and pressed deeper into it, careful not to kiss him too hard. 

“Mmm, better,” Kunimi whispered.

“It’s not like I’ve ever done this.”

“Neither have I.”

Kageyama pulled back from the kiss, surprised. “You haven’t? Then why are you so good?”

Kunimi looked away, his lips twisting to the side, but his cheeks flushed bright red. “Shut up.”

“Okay,” Kageyama whispered, smiling as he eased forward and brushed his lips against Kunimi’s heated cheek. 

Kunimi’s breath hitched as he trailed his lips up to his ear, grazing it with his teeth and gradually making his way down his neck. He sighed as Kunimi’s fingers slipped into his hair. It was a touch he’d been craving since he first started having soulmate dreams, the gentle tug on his scalp. As his tongue slipped out and dipped into the curve of Kunimi’s neck, his head was suddenly yanked back.

“Sorry,” Kunimi said quickly, wiggling out of Kageyama’s arms. “This was good, but we can’t go any further or I’ll— I mean, we have volleyball games to play.” As Kageyama blinked in confusion, Kunimi’s face split into a grin. “Remember volleyball? Your sheer reason for existence?”

“Yeah! Of course, volleyball.”

Kunimi laughed and shoved his chest playfully. “Dork. We’ll have plenty of time for this stuff. Don’t think just because we’re soulmates that everything is going to go your way.”

“Okay.”

“If anything, I’m going to make it harder on you.”

“Okay.”

“Is that all you can say? What happened to the king of Kitagawa Daiichi?”

Kageyama frowned. He didn’t like to hear that name come out of Kunimi’s mouth, although he had every right to say it. Instead of correcting him or snapping at him, he reached up to move a strand of hair out of Kunimi’s eyes.

“I’m no king. I’m your soulmate and hopefully one day, your partner.”

“What the hell?” Kunimi mumbled, jerking away from him and walking back around the lockers toward the hallway. “You’re not allowed to say stuff like that.”

“Are you mad at me? What did I say?”

“Cute shit!” Kunimi snapped over his shoulder. He was red all the way up to his ears. “You’re not allowed to say cute shit like that, Kageyama. Come on, we’ve got volleyball games to play and we’re going to kick your ass.”

Kageyama smiled and tore after him. When he caught up, he shoved his hands in his jacket pockets and nudged Kunimi with his elbow.

“I welcome the challenge, but we’ll be winning.”

“Fat chance.” 

Kunimi gave him a side-eye and stuck out his tongue. Kageyama smiled wider and resisted the urge to grab it. _One day…_

— 

It was nearly the end of the day when they finally faced off against Aoba Johsai. Any exhaustion Kageyama felt disappeared when he stepped onto the court, viewing Kunimi through the net. Although he knew it probably looked frightening, Kageyama couldn’t resist smiling at him. Kunimi rolled his eyes, but Kageyama could see him struggling to hold back a smile of his own. 

As their fellow team members stretched and warmed up, Kunimi finally clicked his tongue and faced him with his hand on his hip.

“Hey. Remember, while we’re on opposite sides of the court, we’re no longer soulmates. We’re enemies, got it?”

Kageyama huffed out a laugh. “Yeah, I get it.”

Kunimi narrowed his eyes like he didn’t believe him, his nose wrinkling slightly. It was cute… _he_ was cute. Why he never noticed before was beyond him, but he supposed it had a lot to do with his life being centered around volleyball. It was strange to think that his whole world had just expanded, realizing that there were a lot of joys to be had beyond the court.

Someone nearby emitted a low, sultry whistle, startling them both.

“Hey, baby, nice legs!”

Tsukishima craned his head around and smirked at Kindaichi, not bothering to straighten up from his deep stretch. “Thanks. Pity there’s a no-touch policy while we’re on the court.”

Kindaichi grinned as he twirled a volleyball between his fingers. “Don’t mind the view though. Think you can shift around a little bit?”

“Like this?” Tsukishima asked, pivoting his body until his ass was pointed straight at the net. 

Kindaichi’s face was beginning to flush. “Oh yeah, that’s perfect. Hey Sho! Stay right there, that’s perfect.”

Hinata had been running past Tsukishima, but he stopped dead at Kindaichi’s voice. He surveyed the situation and unlike most times, he caught on immediately and smirked. Turning to face Kindaichi with his hips right in front of Tsukishima’s face, he planted his fists on his hips.

“How’s this?”

“Perfect! Now if you can just thrust your hips forward— Ow!” he yelped when a volleyball ricocheted off his head. He rubbed the sore spot and turned around to see Kyoutani glaring at him. Instead of saying anything, he pointed back at Yahaba who had his arms crossed in front of his chest, looking like some mafia lord who’d sent his goon to take care of his dirty work.

“Get your head out of your pants, Kindaichi! This is war.”

“Yes, Captain,” he mumbled and dragged his feet to the back line. Kunimi followed him, stifling his laughter. 

Kageyama’s attention snapped back to his own side when Ennoshita appeared beside Tsukishima and Hinata, his calm, observant eyes flickering between them and Kindaichi on the other side of the court. With a nod, he placed his hands on both of their shoulders.

“Keep seducing the opposition. We can use this to our advantage.”

A sinister smile appeared on Tsukishima’s face as well as Hinata’s. “Yes, captain,” they said in unison, and Kageyama shivered. Never in his wildest dreams did he think those two would sync up so closely. It was the first time he ever felt bad for Kindaichi.

He shook off the ominous feeling and slipped into his serious mode. Kunimi was right; they needed to focus and do their best to defeat each other. But as he eyed him from across the court and the way his hair was growing damp from sweat, he thought that it wouldn’t hurt to enjoy the view once in a while himself.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you all enjoyed it!! Honestly, I had a different soulmate in mind for Kageyama but changed my mind a bit ago. I've been having a lot of KageKuni feels and this was really a joy to do. I do have at least one other soulmate fic in mind but not sure when I'll get around to it!


End file.
